ABSTRACT
As this book was about to go to press, the legal action arising from the tunnel collapse at Heathrow Airport in 1994 came to court. In consequence, it is now possible, as a personal view, to recount the circumstances, to identify the contributory factors and to point to lessons to be learned for the future. These lessons are instructive and bear much relevance to the principal themes of other chapters. Following the collapse in October 1994, Britain’s Health and Safety Executive (HSE) established an investigating team overseen by a Supervisory Board to which the Author was appointed as an external member (Health and Safety Executive 1996). The Author also subsequently served as Expert Witness to the HSE in the indictment proceedings brought against Contractor and Specialist Consultant under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
